Friday, April 26, 2019
IMPORTANT UPDATE ABOUT MASON DAY:

Mason Day will delay opening until 5pm and stay open until 10pm. Get your rain gear on, come on out to Lot L and show the weather it can’t stop our Patriot Pride!

Looking forward to seeing you today!

-Your Friends in Student Involvement

Enjoy dozens of local food trucks, funnel cake, kettle corn, cotton candy, and other treats. Novelties, inflatables, a free t-shirt while supplies last, and more great stuff. Stick around to see loads of student performers on the main stage all day long.

Celebrate the end of the school year with Student Involvement at Mason Day! Calling all student organizations, performers, and off-campus organizations!

The Full-Package

Mason Day is a family friendly event that welcomes warmer weather, a time of relaxation before Finals Week, and an afternoon full of memories! We’ll have food to melt your taste buds, amusement rides to give you a thrill, live performances to dance along, and novelty items that you can take home! The event is free to all Mason students, staff, and faculty with a valid Mason ID, free to children under the age of 12, and only $20 for the general public. Admission for the general public is purchased at the front entrance of the event for CASH ONLY!

Queen Naija

As a little girl growing up outside Detroit, Queen Naija started singing in church at the age of three and writing her own songs in third grade. Although she kept up with her singing and songwriting as she got older—and even cut a few records in a local studio—her focus shifted when she and her former husband found fame online with their wildly popular YouTube channel. But when their marriage fell apart last year, Queen returned to her lifelong passion and released a powerfully unapologetic single that shares her side of the story.

Premiering just hours before midnight on New Year’s Eve, Queen’s breakout hit “Medicine” is a slow-burning R&B track about discovering her ex-husband had cheated on her—and her elaborately detailed plans to get back at him. Part tender breakup ballad, part ruthless revenge fantasy, “Medicine” finds Queen’s smooth and soulful vocals moving from vulnerable to fierce with undeniable ease. But while the song was an instant smash—making a staggering debut at #45 on the Billboard Hot 100, a nearly-unheard-of achievement for an emerging artist—Queen never even intended for “Medicine” to reach beyond her devoted following on YouTube and Instagram.

With “Medicine” amassing more than 20 million streams on Spotify—and its cinematic video scoring more than 39 million views—Queen is now at work on her debut EP for Capitol Records. Joining forces with A-list producers like No I.D. (Jay-Z, Kanye West, Vince Staples), Queen is set to deliver a selection of songs that showcase her magnetic vocals, down-to-earth lyrics, and timeless yet edgy artistry. “More than anything I want my music to be heartfelt—true, heartfelt soul and R&B songs that people can relate to their own lives,” says Queen. “There’ll be some heartbreak songs, but also some songs about getting over the heartbreak and falling for someone new.”

After parting ways with her ex-husband, Queen launched her own YouTube channel, which now boasts 2.6 million subscribers (in addition to her 3.5 million followers on Instagram). When “Medicine” dropped in December, Queen was startled by the wide-reaching response to the track. “I had no idea it would go as far as it did,” she says. “To me it felt like a typical song from my own experience, but it turns out that a lot of other people have had this kind of experience as well.” Indeed, it’s exactly that uncompromising honesty that’s made “Medicine” so irresistible to listeners and gained acclaim from outlets like Billboard (who noted that “Queen imagines the actions of a bolder, empowered alter ego, a 2018 variation on Beyoncé’s ‘If I Were A Boy’”).

As she gears up for the release of her debut EP, Queen aims to channel more of that real-life emotion into each song. “A lot of people make music just to try to get a hit or win Grammys, but for me it’s about changing people’s perspectives and letting them know they’re not alone in whatever they’re going through,” she says. “I want to make music that captures people, that gets into your soul—the kind of songs you need to keep playing over and over.” But for Queen, the most rewarding element of her runaway success lies in finally fulfilling her childhood dream. “I’ve always known that this was a gift given to me, and that I need to use it to help others,” she says. “When ‘Medicine’ came out people were like, ‘Oh, wow—I didn’t know Queen had it in her.’ Now I’m going to show everybody that there’s way more to me than ‘Medicine.’”

Sage the Gemini

Success doesn’t come easily for anybody. Since day one, persistence has been the name of the game for Bay Area rapper Sage The Gemini.

When he made the decision to rap, nobody would help him. He’d bring rhymes to his peers for beats, and no one jumped at the chance to collaborate. So, he went even harder and he did everything himself. By the age of 14, he had taught himself how to create beats, produce, and even mix and master. He’d become a wholly self-sufficient artist before tenth grade. Now 21, he recalls, “All I cared about was music. I would stay up all night working on tracks and go to school tired. It didn’t matter. I wanted to be heard.”

Inspired by everyone from Chris Brown and Usher to Jay-Z and Pharrell, he studied various genres inside and out. That determination and dedication eventually yielded a viral sensation.

In 2008, he dropped his first online track “You Should Know” on MySpace. It became a viral hit, generating over three million views and buzzing amongst listeners worldwide. Joining up with the famed crew HBK Gang, the Bay Area began to embrace him as he performed countless gigs, developed a local presence, and honed a sound of his own.

The Adrenaline You Need

Searching for a non-caffeinated thrill before finals week? Mason Day will have amusement rides, inflatables, and a variety of games for you to play! Our amusement park rides this year will include:

ZIPPER

The Zipper is the standard measuring stick to which all other “scary” rides are measured – if you can handle two and a half minutes on the Zipper, you can handle any other ride on a carnival midway! Brave the Zipper!

CLIFF HANGER

Hop aboard this major thrill ride with its multicolored glider wings and smooth exhibition. Once loaded into these glider seats, the ride begins to turn and you will be soaring high above the crowd on the Cliff Hanger. Enjoy a truly thrilling sensation before gently gliding back down. Experience the feeling of hang gliding on the Cliff Hanger!

EXPO FERRIS WHEEL

Ride the Rainforest Expedition with its Spectacular 67 ft tall Gondola Wheel. Beautifully decorated in a Rainforest theme and exhilarating light show. Enjoy the view from atop the Expo Wheel.

FUNNEL FORCE SWINGS

The classic high-speed swing is a favorite at Mason Day! With 24 seats and colorful scenery this ride is an automatic crowd pleaser. Get a look at all of Mason Day from this amazing ride!

THE HIMALAYA

A carnival is not complete without the familiar scene of this ride’s cars sweeping over the heads of passersby, with the unforgettable loud bursts of compressed air that go hand-in-hand to the classic Hurricane ride. Brave the Himalaya this Mason Day!

THE ROCKSTAR

ROCK STAR is an exhilarating 360-degree, full-rotation family thrill ride providing passengers with a rock and rolling good time. ROCK STAR spins up to a height of 60 feet while keeping every rider parallel to the ground and providing a ride experience that will leave you laughing and coming back for more!

Many of your favorite local food trucks!

Mason Day offers a little bit of everything when it comes to food options. Food trucks will be available throughout the afternoon to calm your hunger. Keep an eye out for a list of our delicious food vendors!

Savory

o DC Steakholders

o Off the Wall Tacos

o Empanadas De Mendoza

o Two Smooth Dudes

o Blue City Indian Street Eats

Sweet

Memories That Last

Take a piece of Mason Day home with you and remember this experience forever. We want you to go home with a smile on your face and memorabilia in your hand. This year we have happy to offer the following novelty experiences:

The T-Shirt Giveaway

FREE T-SHIRTS (while supplies last, of course)! We’ll be giving out one-hundred (100) t-shirts EVERY HOUR to those with a valid Mason ID. Check back soon so you’ll be one of the first to see this year’s Mason Day T-shirt!

Q: If I show up later in the day, is there a chance I will be denied entrance due to an attendance capacity?
A: In our 50+ years of hosting this event, we have never had to turn away an attendee due to capacity.

Student Involvement takes safety and security at Mason Day seriously. Due to the high number attendees at the event, security and police will be present. All bags will be checked upon entry. No beverages from outside will be permitted into the venue. All containers must be emptied prior to entry. Mason ID is required for all students, faculty and staff entering.

Check out pics from Mason Day 2018!

Our Sponsors

Student Involvement prides itself on providing students at Mason with an environment that fosters fun, active engagement, and meaningful connections. This year our office is looking for partners to help us create this environment for our community. If your organization is interested in being a Mason Day 2019 sponsor, reach out to Lauren Long at llong3@gmu.edu with your inquiry.